Finding Stability
by payday00
Summary: My parents Jacob and Renesmee thought far too highly of me. I thought I was incapable of love... until a certain mortal came along and changed everything. PLEASE REVIEW
1. Prolouge

Link to the trailer: watch?v=fgnZFZpQwlU

I was taken aback by the truth of her words. They made me feel incredibly small. I wasn't wise. Wisdom was learned. It didn't matter how much I knew. It didn't matter how many books I'd read, or who I learned from. I didn't even matter _what _I was. Even immortality was humbled by life experience. Four years of studying, learning, asking questions and searching for answers; developing regions of my mind untouched by man-was melted away in the face of fourteen years of humanity.

Reed had lived her life. She unconsciously observed human behavior and adapted it. She had developed opinions and made decisions based around her own mistakes. She learned firsthand right from wrong in a simple world with backwards priorities- and managed to break herself apart from the mainstream.

She had made the conscious decision to be different. I had no choice. She was far more remarkable than I. The hours that I had spent thinking about myself; the days I'd spent wallowing in self-pity-were a selfish use of my time.

Reed had lived for others, and her life had a purpose. My life had no purpose until this moment. I now realized that I was born to protect she who would touch the lives of so many. The whole world was far less significant than the girl standing in front of me. Without her, my life had no meaning. I felt my grip on myself slipping. I could never let anything hurt her. She was to be preserved at all costs. Not just for her own good, but for the good of many. I had a brief glimpse into the future. If she didn't live, I knew that many would die. I felt a white light began to consume me, slowly but surely.

While my subconscious registered this, I stared into the beautiful teal eyes of my universe. How had I been so blind before? My life meant nothing, and the lives of even those closest to me meant little. Love was absolutely an understatement. I was done with selfish thoughts. Everything I would do, I would do for her. The light was paralyzing me, creeping its way up my body. I clutched onto humanity as I had so many times before, but this time it was to keep myself from falling into the gaping hole opening beneath me.

I was unaware that I had stopped breathing. The last image that filled my mind was the angel face of my imprint. Then the light spread to my eyes, blinding me, and I let go.


	2. Chapter 1-Monstrocity

The sun was nowhere in sight, and the dark sky seemed to suck all of the color out of the usually lively beach. Even the girl's golden hair seemed white and her smiling blue eyes grey. The water was a sick shade of green, and I heard her wince as the cold white frothy tips of the waves washed over her feet.

The rain poured softly, but the ocean reacted violently to the storm. The water was closed to swimmers, and the beach had cleared out for the most part. The two young girls were the only ones who remained; dancing in the rain like Nicholas Sparks had orchestrated this particular scene of their lives.

It was one of those moments where you wished you had a camera to record the cliché. The blonde one laughed and traced a heart in the sand with her big toe. Within seconds, the water washed over the drawing, creating another perfect canvas. It looked somewhat frustrating.

The other girl with the dark hair, whom I found more attractive, kicked the wave, misting her friend with seawater. She squealed with laughter and ran back up to the beach before the fair girl could return the favor. Her laugh was oddly familiar.

Another blast of cold wind sent the raindrops sputtering my way, each one icily pricking my skin, but I didn't mind the cold. Or the heat. I watched as the beautiful girl snatched a towel from under their umbrella and wrapped it around her scantily-clad body.

"Ready to go back?" asked the shivering blonde. The attractive girl nodded and spread one arm, offering to share the towel with her company. She accepted without hesitation and they huddled together, trudging through the sand toward the boardwalk.

Lighting cracked the black sky and thunder followed approximately 1.7 seconds later. It echoed faintly off the row of quaint, colorful houses lining the beach. I could hear the soft patter of the girls' feet as they made their way to their vacation house a mile away from me.

The lighting and the girls were intriguing, but they were far away. Focusing my attention on things close to me was harder. The porch of our vacation home was not shaded from the elements, and I was drenched to the bone. I could hear the voices inside, but there were too many to keep track of.

"_Go take a shower, Jake. You smell like a wet dog."_ That one was followed by my father's throaty laugh.

"_I wonder what Aiden is thinking about. I feel terrible-I know he was looking forward to the sun…"_ I winced slightly at my mother's guilt.

"_Man, this blows. This isn't any drier than the beaches at La Push! Some vacation this is. Can someone please tell Aiden to come back inside?" _The corners of my lips curved up in a smile at the sound of Seth's voice. I spun around and pushed the heavy sliding-glass door open without any effort.

As soon as I entered the foyer, my mother jumped up and was by my side with a towel before I could blink.

"Thanks, Renesmee." My mother only appeared a few years older than me now, and I was more comfortable calling her by her full name anyway.

"Are you cold?" though Renesmee didn't exactly think of me as her son, she was fiercely maternal.

"No, I'm fine." I smiled weakly. "I'm going to go get in the shower." Jacob wasn't so much paternal as he was protective. He was protective of me…but he was downright _possessive _of Renesmee. The only word that could come close to describing it was…territorial.

I slipped silently through the house, careful not to run into Seth. He would have too many questions about what I was doing, and he wouldn't buy that I was "just thinking."

And yet I was.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. I had been pondering my heritage, and more importantly, my lack of mortality. I looked human. My tan skin was dark but not as dark as my father's, more golden than copper. No heat radiated from my body, but I wasn't cold, either. I was the same temperature as the room. I would be the same temperature of whatever room I was in; my body adjusted perfectly. I looked at the mirror, and intense hazel eyes glared back at me. They were green around the iris, softly fading into golden and then a dark brown. Carlisle had marveled over my eyes when I'd been born. He had told me they were Edward's green; his eyes before he had been snatched into the world of the immortal. The gold flecks in my eyes were dull, since I hadn't given into temptation since we'd arrived. My light brown hair hadn't quite reached my shoulders, but it was a full inch longer than it had been the previous week.

I stepped into the shower, letting the lukewarm water drone out the noise collecting in the small house. I wondered how humans liked their showers. Cold or hot? To me, _they_ were the fantasy. They were elusive and mystical and beautiful, not I.

Renesmee was the only one who understood. Of course we were both mutants; hybrids that no one had thought possible, but the underlying truth eternally tied my mother and I. Because only she would understand what it was like to be born into this world, not introduced to it as mere humans. It seemed cowardly evasive not to have to have undergone the painful process of transformation, whether it be from human to vampire or from human to wolf. My brothers and sisters (metaphorically, of course) had gotten to experience each creature separately, whereas Renesmee and I had to be them at the same time. And yet in some ways, no, many ways, Renesmee and I were different. She didn't have to be two monsters at once. She wasn't slave to whatever instinct got the best of her. She wasn't subject to internal conflict, one-third a human watching helplessly as two monsters battle for control over her. Of course I wasn't raised to think myself a monster. Though the creatures that make up my being ought to be feared, they are not what make me a monster. I do not blame my mother and father, nor do I blame Bella and Edward. It isn't their fault that the war that rages inside of me makes me incapable of internal peace, much less the capability to bring peace or happiness to others, hence monstrosity. I can appear mortal in demeanor only because I cling on to humanity when the rest of me is unstable, imbalanced.

I turned off the shower head and allowed my mood to lift with Seth's incessant chatter coming from the ground floor. I pulled on a pair of shorts, not really sure who they belonged to, and slipped down the stairs unnoticed. Seth was on the couch mindlessly staring at screen of the handheld game he was playing. In his focused state, I would scare him even if I _was_ visible. But I could still have fun with it.

"Oomph!" Seth reacted as soon my fist contacted his abdomen. He rolled over for a moment, breathless. I rocked back on the balls of my feet, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I raised my fists in a typical fighting stance. Seth recovered quickly and was on his feet in no time, dark eyes scanning the room for his attacker. "Marco?" He asked tentatively.

"Polo!" I responded. I dodged his punch and let my foot catch him from behind. Seth caught himself on the arm of the couch and smiled.

"Unfair!" he shouted. I shrugged, but then realized that he couldn't see me. "Jake!" He called. "Backup!" Two against one. I could handle that, especially with my invisibility advantage. Jacob was in the foyer within seconds, grinning like an idiot.

"Marco!"

I positioned myself in the center of the room. "Polo!"

"Seven O'clock, on top of the ottoman!" Jake ordered Seth. I let Seth take a swing, then grabbed his arm and took another shot at his gut. I was too busy laughing to notice Jacob coming up behind me. "'Gotcha!" Jake trapped me in a headlock from behind, and I let go of Seth's arm.

"Three…two…" Seth counted down to declare Jacob the winner. I couldn't let that happen. I twisted out of Jake's grip and ducked under his legs, chopping his ankles with the side of my wrist. Jacob lost his balance, but only momentarily.

"Seal all exits!" he commanded Seth. "Marco!"

"What is going on?" Renesmee poked her head around Seth's bicep.

"I'm blocking the door!" he shouted.

"I see that." She muttered, looking past him at her husband, spinning in circles looking for me like a dog chasing his tail. She placed her hand gently on Seth's cheek. He relaxed his body, his eyes fixed on something in the distance.

Renesmee removed her hand and Seth recovered, shaking his head and declaring excitedly, "Dinner's ready!"

Jake stopped in his tracks and I materialized next to him. Seth had already left for the kitchen, and Renesmee was leaning in the doorway, smiling. She_ was _beautiful. Her red hair flowed like a waterfall down her back, stopping halfway down her petite frame. Sometimes I was worried that Jake would crush her if he held her too tightly, but then I remembered that she possessed strength to match his, certainly mine. She smiled warmly, and her eyes were a bottomless brown that matched only my own. Jacob's expression softened the moment he saw her. He walked toward the doorway, planting a kiss on her cheek and continuing toward the kitchen. Renesmee smiled at him and then looked at me.

"You know I don't like to see my two favorite boys fighting." She said, even though she knew we were just messing around.

"Sorry." I rubbed the back of my head.

"I'd put money on you, though." I looked up and smiled. It was humorous. She actually believed it.

"Nah, I don't know. I think Seth would have pummeled both of us if you hadn't been here to stop him." I joked.

Renesmee giggled. It was then when I remembered what the pretty dark-haired girl's laugh reminded me of. Why didn't I hear it before? It sounded exactly like my mother's.

"I suppose you're right." She smiled again as she turned and left the room to follow the guys into the kitchen.

And I was alone.


	3. Chapter 2-Satisfaction

Chapter Two-Satisfaction

I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I hadn't slept in at least 48 hours. Sleep wasn't a necessity; it was more like a gift. It was a pleasant surprise when I could fall into the blissful state of unconsciousness. Normally I was kept awake by thought, curiosity, unsolved mysteries and unanswered questions.

When I caught sight of myself in the mirror, I realized that insomnia was the least of my problems. The gold in my eyes had faded to black and looking at them made my throat burn with thirst. I hadn't hunted in…what? Two weeks?

As if on cue, Renesmee was behind me, also looking at my eyes. I could see that her thirst matched mine.

"Get ready," she said to my reflection. "We're leaving in fifteen." She winked at me and disappeared. Well, not literally, like I could. But she was fast enough that the human eye would not catch her leaving. I often wondered if I could beat her in a race.  
Of course, a higher percentage of her genetic makeup was vampirical, but there were too many factors to consider before making an assumption.

The subtle burn in the back of my throat forced me to refocus on getting ready. It was probably much worse for Renesmee. I had been eating human food with Jake and Seth because it didn't repulse me like it did her, but she hadn't been satisfied by any form of nourishment in weeks.

I dropped my phone in my pocket and started downstairs, where Renesmee was already waiting. It was very dark outside. The rain had subsided, and the horizon was clouded with salty mist. She gave me a nod because it was all I needed to know that it was time to leave. We slipped out silently into the cold night.

My life seemed to be full of clichés, lately.

Our secluded vacation house was on the beach, but instead of starting to the water Renesmee ran in the opposite direction, into the thick brush behind the house. I smiled as I shifted my weight. I had wanted a race. I ran after her, but I could tell that she was slowing so I could catch up. The brush became thicker as I ran, and by the time we stopped we were completely surrounded in swampy Florida woodland.

A gust of wind brought the scent, and the animalistic desire so obvious on my face was mirrored by hers. Slowly she reached out to touch my cheek, and my eyes clouded over with memories of the other times we'd hunted together. She was focusing on a particular strategy we'd used, and I nodded.

We followed the scent of wild boar to a slight clearing where the moonlight shone through the trees and we could get a good glimpse of the massive animal. Renesemee and I crouched down not 30 meters from the pig. She licked her lips and my mouth flooded with venom. Renesmee didn't have venom, lucky for Jacob. Of course mine wasn't near as potent as a true vampire's, or even my good friend Nahuel's. Yet another thing I fell short of.

I looked at Renesmee, and she got the message. She looked at me and blinked once. I let myself blend into the background, focusing my energy on the mind of the boar.  
See, I didn't really become invisible, but I could trick the mind into looking past me. Getting into someone's head was an offensive skill, but invisibility was defensive. It was yet another example of how I could foster two opposite forces and channel their energy.  
It caused me even more emotional turmoil. What kind of skill was invisibility? It was the skill of a coward.

_There is a fine line between bravery and foolishness._ Carlisle would say when encouraging me to use my gift.

_Come out you little punk!_ Paul would say. _Don't be a chicken!_

Of course, there were times when I didn't hate my gift, like when I was hunting. I wasn't as fast or as strong as a vampire, but it definitely helped that the animals couldn't see me.  
I was always able to get a feel for the mind of whoever I was "blocking". It was kind of hard to explain; I couldn't feel them like Jasper or hear them like Edward, it was more like I could sense their essence. Not just their moods or their thoughts, but their personalities, their priorities.

The wild boar was aggressive. It was actually refreshing; the deer in Forks were always so _timid_. I positioned myself not 10 meters behind the animal. It was scavenging for food, completely unaware of my presence. I saw its ears prick right before I saw Renesmee reveal herself to the animal. It grunted, and at first I thought it was about to charge. Renesmee's eyes were hungry, exited.

But alas, the boar was old and it decided against attacking. It most likely sensed the danger. It turned around to retreat, playing right into my hands.

The animal couldn't see me, and he was completely taken by surprise when I pounced on him; my strength just enough to take him down. He squealed in surprise, trying to hit me with his massive tusks. Slowly I silenced him, digging my teeth into the soft spot right behind his skull. I let instinct take over, not even noticing when Renesmee came to feed off the carcass with me.

It was worse than I thought it would be. The boar's blood tasted mucky and cloudy, but it was so satisfying that I hardly noticed. I was full before we were finished, but my hunger returned when we caught the scent of deer farther east. We fed for another hour, and by the time we returned it was around six o'clock. The sun was just rising over the water, painting the sky gold almost as vibrant as the new lining of my irises.

Seth and Jake were still asleep, but that changed pretty quickly when they smelled the breakfast Renesmee was making. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the heat had returned. The sunlight filtered in through the window and hit Renesmee's skin, making it sparkle faintly.

I looked at my own skin. The glint was hardly noticeable. It was more like a glow. The shine of gold, not the sparkle of diamonds. The sound of sizzling bacon was interrupted by the loud crash of Seth rolling out of bed.

"Food," he groaned as he bounded down the stairs, wide awake. Ness already had a plate ready for him when he sat down. "Thanks!" he said between mouthfuls of eggs. "Doesn't Aiden want any?" he asked Renesmee, jamming his fork in my direction. I turned to face him from my position on the couch. Seth's face twisted in disgust as he took note of my healthy glow and bright eyes. I chuckled darkly.

Jake slid down the banister and strolled into the kitchen. He hadn't shaved in days, and he needed to. He came up behind Renesmee, sliding his arms around her waist and burying his face in her shoulder. She smiled and looked up from the pan to put her hand on his cheek. His eyes widened and Renesemee laughed. I shuddered looked at Seth. Neither of us wanted to know what she was showing him.

I turned on the TV and started to flip through pointless channels. Nothing caught my eye. My mind began to once again leave my body as I stared blankly at the screen. I wondered how far I could swim, how deep I could dive…

I was so distracted that I didn't notice the change in atmosphere, the sudden silence. Seth's fork clattered to the ground and the metallic ring echoed. Instinctively, I hid myself, becoming one with the linens of the couch. I turned around to see Jake and Seth both standing, concentrating on something I couldn't see. Seth wrinkled his nose and Jake set his jaw.

"Someone's here," he growled. Renesmee stood frozen, looking worried. The only sound in the room was the sizzle of the grease on the frying pan. No one seemed to notice that I had disappeared. "You stay here," Jake said to Seth. "I'll go run patrol of the island. Don't let them out of your sight."

Them. I winced mentally. I knew I could hold my own just as well as my mother, but the words hurt none the less. If only I could phase, I would join the pack. I'd be able to carry my own weight, and everyone could stop worrying. I could fight off a human with ease. Bullets weren't much to worry about either, due to my nearly impenetrateable skin and remarkable healing rate. Disease was the least of my worries, and animals feared me.  
But I was no match for a vampire, or a wolf. They would tear me to shreds without a second thought. I may be able to get away because of my gift, but there would be no way I could fight them off. Renesmee wouldn't fare well either.

Of course, there was the question of what I was sizing up.

"Seth," I allowed him to see me. "What's wrong?"

"We caught the scent north of here." He said. For a second, I could see 29 years of life experience behind the mossy eyes of a 15 year old.

"What is it, Seth?" Renesmee demanded.

"Vampires. They're here."


	4. Chapter 3-Curiosity

Chapter Three-Curiosity

There were exactly forty-seven bricks surrounding the fireplace. There were sixty-two tiles on the kitchen floor. What else could I count? Television pixels?

Renesmee was pacing in the room next to mine as she spoke into the telephone. "Two hours. He's been gone for two hours. Seth says he's on the mainland, but he hasn't found anything yet." I was perfectly capable of hearing Bella's side of the conversation, but I chose not to listen. I could tell Bella was worried, though, from the inflections in her voice. Renesmee was speaking to her mother to calm herself down, but it wasn't taking much effect.

I walked to over to my window. Seth was still standing in front of the house. The massive sandy-colored wolf was almost hard to spot amongst the endless dunes of-well, sand. I knocked on my window and waved at Seth. He shook his head slowly and turned back around to focus on his telepathy with Jake.

"Carlisle says it's no one we know." Bella's voice penetrated my thoughts and with a twinge of guilt, I began to focus once more on their conversation. "It doesn't make sense. Why would vampires be in the sunniest state in the continental US?"

There was silence on Renesmee's end. "It's not…" she began.

"The Volturi? No, Alice is watching Aro. About a month ago he sent the half of the guard out to Eastern Europe to investigate escalating murders, and he hasn't heard from them since."

"Vampires?"

"Probably. But the Volturi doesn't know about Aiden. He's safe." They had been able to keep me hidden from the power hungry Italian coven for five years, but I would never have complete security. I was a burden to my family.

I heard the front door open, and Renesmee and I were at the foot of the stairs before Seth could close it.

"I've got to go, mom. Call you later." Renesmee hung up the phone. "Where's Jacob?" she asked Seth. "Is he coming home?"

"Jake can't find anything," Seth started. "He's coming back."

"What did Jake say?"

"The scent disappeared just as quickly as it came. And…" After more than appropriate time for Seth to complete his sentence had passed, I cut in.

"And what?"

"Jake said the scent was…familiar. I don't know." Seth shook his head.

"You look tired. Go upstairs and take a nap, hun. When did you say Jake would be back?"

"It shouldn't take him longer than twenty minutes to get here. You guys should be safe."

There were so many things wrong with this conversation. How was the scent familiar and yet Alice had seen nothing? How had the scent disappeared so quickly? Why would a vampire be in Florida in the first place? Now that Jacob was returning, what would we do? If the vampire left would we stay, or leave incase it came back?

Seth brushed past me to go upstairs, looking exhausted. Renesmee lifted her hand to my face.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." I said. Renesmee nodded, but her eyes were full of doubt.

"Stay safe," she said before ascending the stairs.

I needed to take a walk. Probably not the best idea, but hopefully I would be back before Jake. The sun had risen fully in the sky and no clouds obstructed its rays. It was as if there had been no storm. I thought, for the first time, of the two human girls I had watched on the beach the previous night. So carefree…

I shut the front door behind me and took a step into the scorching hot sand. My bare feet made light footprints leading to the water. The tide had risen visibly, and the water was slightly cool with rainwater from the night before. I thought again of the human girls as I traced a heart in the wet sand. I wondered what they were doing right now, on the mainland. We're they sleeping? It was only nine in the morning. Were they enjoying the sun on the beach?

Were they alive?

The vampire in the area could have been out hunting, and I doubted Jake would have been able to smell it through the storm. I should have watched the girls until they were safely inside. They were the only ones out on the beach that night…

But what could I have done? As if I could stop the vampire. Maybe I would have told Jake, but even he couldn't get to the mainland in time. I was surprised to feel emptiness in my chest at the thought of the innocent girls being dead. They seemed to be around my age. Their lives had a purpose. They had family and friends who loved them. Maybe they had a lover back home that would grieve them. They could have grown up and changed the world.

The loss of my life, however, would be far less significant. I had no friends besides Seth. The thought of me having a mate was laughable, since I had never had contact with human females besides maybe the imprints of the pack, and they seemed to fear me. I would never "grow up". It was likely that I'd stop aging at seventeen like Renesmee and Jacob. I would never know the joys and the pains of getting older-but that paled in comparison to the fact that I couldn't even have a childhood. I was five years old and could already pass the college ACT with flying colors. I didn't know what it felt like to go to school or to have friends. Pop culture didn't interest me. The term "ignorance is bliss" could not apply more. The ignorant, hormonal teenagers that I see on television couldn't be happier.

Renesmee had been in a similar situation, but she had Jacob. A guaranteed best friend, a guaranteed mate. She didn't have to hide from the Volturi. I still didn't see how she could be so happy. Was she not tormented like I was? But it was plain to see-Jacob was her life, as she was his. Seeing my parents so happy together almost made me want to experience love.

Almost.

I knew love wasn't easy. Not firsthand, of course. The twisted love story of Edward and Bella was proof enough. I knew every detail of the two years before Renesmee's birth. Bella had kept a record of them- Four volumes of her life story. Renesmee and I were the only ones who had read them. Bella was a phenomenal writer. Her love for Edward was unconditional, and they had to overcome endless obstacles to be together. But they had done it-for what? Love. An intangible _emotion_. I couldn't understand it.

I couldn't understand the point of my life either. I was waist deep in the water now. Perhaps it was to satisfy Carlisle's curiosity. Whenever I was in Washington, he would perform endless tests on me. I was interested to see the results, to learn more about myself. I knew I was completely unique, but that also made me feel alone. The water swirled around my shoulders.

I wasn't even unique in a good way. I was far less fragile than a human, but not as fast or strong as a vampire. I was starting to wonder if I had any wolf in me at all. Controlling my anger had never been a problem. Maybe phasing was a coming-of-age thing. Maybe since Jacob was my father, I would phase when I was his age. But I had already spent so much time around vampires…

I opened my eyes, and the water didn't burn. I could see perfectly clearly, but everything was tainted green. I stayed perfectly still as I watched the small school of fish swim around me. My lungs weren't burning yet, and I began to count.

Twenty seconds. I wondered if my invisibility would work on animals. The fish had been steering somewhat clear of me. I couldn't focus on so many small minds at once. They were all very small, thinking in unison.

One minute. I wasn't yet desperate for air. I looked up above me. The surface of the water distorted the sunlight, scattering the rays around the smooth ocean floor. It was beautiful.

Three minutes. Beauty. Could it be applied to something that one couldn't see? Renesmee was beautiful. The fish, moving as one body, scales glinting in the sunlight, were beautiful. The girl dancing in the rain on the beach with her friend, she was beautiful.

Five minutes. I watched a small shark swam in a zigzag path along the ocean floor. He seemed uninterested in me as well as the fish. Sharks must be lonely. Lonely, hated, and feared. Slave to their instincts. They were like me, except I had no idea which instinct to give into. For example, the wolf in me wanted to kill the shark; get rid of any potential danger. The vampire in me wanted the shark to fear me. The human in me feared the shark.

Seven minutes. I was starting to ache for oxygen, but I knew I could last much longer. I would have to make note of this for Carlisle. I honestly didn't know what he wanted to do with all of this information. _Harvard Medical Report- Vampire/Werewolf Child Can Hold Breath For Over Seven Minutes Without Difficulty_.

Eight minutes. The surface of the peaceful water was disturbed by a tan, muscular arm. It grabbed my shoulder and forcefully yanked me out of the ocean.

"What the _hell,_ Aiden! Are you _trying _to get yourself killed?"

So Jacob had come back.

My lungs filled with sweet oxygen but I was temporarily blinded by the sunlight.

"No." I choked out. "I was just swimming."

Jacob crossed his arms. "Swimming? You were being perfectly still. I thought you were dead!"

"Actually I was…" I felt my cheeks redden from embarrassment, or maybe lack of oxygen to the blood. "I was seeing how long I could hold my breath. You know, for Carlisle." I could see that Jacob was trying to dissuade himself from believing that I was trying to harm myself. It was a very real possibility, considering my distaste for my lifestyle. But I would never do that to Renesmee.

Jacob shook his head. "What is the doc planning on doing with you anyway?"

I shrugged. "Biological weaponry, maybe."

He was not amused. "I'm surprised Ness let you go outside. Seeing how long you could hold your damn breath…" he muttered.

"You're in a bad mood." I mused.

"Gee, I wonder why."

"So are we leaving? What's wrong? If you didn't catch anything…"

"We're staying."

"So there's no danger?"

"Not to you," Jake said. "…but the Floridians are in danger."

"I don't understand."

"Whatever_ that _was," Jacob spit the word _that_ like it tasted as sour as it sounded. "It had a serious purpose. Vampires don't just go to Florida to sunbathe."

"So why aren't we leaving?" he was only adding to my confusion. With each question he answered, a new one arose.

"Did you not just hear me, Aiden? God, I swear, sometimes you are as stubborn as your grandmother."

I stared at him blankly until he chose to continue. I tended to find that making people uncomfortable was the best way to get them to talk.

Jake sighed. "We need to stay to protect the humans. Whatever this is, it's not targeting us."

Guilt overwhelmed me as I realized that I had not even considered that angle. I recalled an earlier point in the conversation between Bella and Renesmee.

"Bella said that it's possibly a dispute between nomads. A vampire might have run to Florida to escape an enemy, knowing they would not follow them to someone so dangerous."

Jacob nodded, silently grateful for the information as I watched him try to piece together the story in his head.

"Well the scent disappeared, but we should stay in case it comes back."

"To protect the humans," I guessed.

"Exactly. The thing is, we can't really do that from here."

"What are you implying?" I surprised myself for being so blunt, but when I wanted answers I wanted them fast.

"We can't stay on the island. We'll move to the mainland, where Seth and I can run patrol."

"Do you mean…were staying at a resort?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Jake frowned. "I know Seth will be happy, but I'm not so sure about Renesmee."

"She'll surprise you."

"She always does." Jacob smiled and shook his head lovingly. "How do you feel about this?"

Hm. How unusual, Jacob Black taking other people's feelings into account.

"I'm not sure. Will we be around… people?"

Jacob nodded. "It's not that hard. It's just like talking to vampires, but dumber. Or talking to the pack, but smarter."

I chuckled.

"I think you'll have fun," said Jake. "Humans can be very entertaining."

"To mess with!" called Seth from the balcony. He must have been listening. "Don't worry Jake; Aiden's just worried about how to talk to girls at the beach!" Jacob rolled his eyes as Seth went back inside proclaiming, "Pack your bags! We're going to Key West!"

"I'd better go ask Nessie to call Alice and ask her to make reservations." He grumbled as he turned his back on me and started to the house.

"Jake." I said. He stopped but didn't turn around. "Seth said the scent was familiar."

I saw his shoulders tense. "Maybe. But it could always be an ally. Like I said, they're not targeting us."

According to Alice they weren't. But she's been wrong before. Jake continued to run towards the pretty little beach house on our island. We would be leaving. We would be staying in an unknown place surrounded by humans, with the threat of an unidentified vampire looming over our heads. I wasn't afraid of the latter, but I was terrified of the humans. I had no idea how to interact with them. I didn't even have a cover story. I didn't even know if I would speak to any of them, or if I even wanted to.

But encasing all of my doubt was a bubble of sheer excitement; a break from boredom and normalcy. I was about to explore uncharted waters and explore the boundaries of the world I lived in. I was stepping outside of my comfort zone. I was satisfying even more of my thirst for knowledge, experiencing the real world firsthand. I had never been so exited.

Or terrified.


	5. Chapter 4- Relief (Part One)

Chapter Four

The box full of my novels should have been heavy, but I carried it easily in one hand as I gripped Renesmee's lamp in the other.

"Careful! Be careful, Aiden!" nagged Nessie as she ran alongside me to make sure I didn't break it. Renesmee's obsession with interior design was almost as bad as Alice's obsession with fashion. She had insisted that we bring everything with us to the condo since she had gone through so much trouble to decorate our vacation house the first time around. I gently set the lamp down on the table and made my way through the living area to claim my bedroom. I chose the smallest room in the back of the narrow hallway. It was simply decorated and poorly lit, but I chose it because of the view from the window behind the twin bed.

The window had a perfect view of the public beach. The sun was setting over the water, and though it wasn't as beautiful as it was on the island, it was comforting. Comforting, but not quite as interesting as the humans that watched it with me. Small children played in the sand and in the water. I hadn't ever seen children in person. Their innocence and beauty was so pure; I hated to think how within a few years that innocence would be spoiled with knowledge and culture.

I set the box of classics on the bed and ran my hands through my hair. It was time to go unload more boxes. The humans would have to wait.

"AIDEN ANTONY BLACK!" I sucked in a sharp breath.

"Yes?" I called back softly.

A frazzled looking Renesmee appeared in my doorway. "I have asked you a billion times in the car where you wanted to go eat for your birthday dinner," she hissed, "and you haven't given me one stupid answer! I have to make reservations, you know!"

"I'm sorry." I muttered with fake sincerity. "I promise I'll look at some of the places you suggested as soon as I'm finished unloading the car." Renesmee squeezed her eyes shut, as if blocking out a migraine. When she finally opened them, I found myself holding my breath, waiting for a response or some sign that she was okay.

"Go," she said simply, rubbing her temple.

"C'mon, Ness." I laughed nervously. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she forced a smile. "Just stressed is all."

I nodded and moved towards the exit, planting a kiss on her cheek as I strode out into the hallway. I was almost at the door when Renesmee called out.

"Aiden?"

"Yeah?" I stopped, my hand on the doorknob.

"This is going to be a good thing." She sounded like she was reassuring herself more than she was me.

"I know."I opened the door and let it click behind me. The elevator was at the very top floor of the complex. I pressed the button and watched it go down slowly until it stopped on the nineteenth floor and then continued down. When it finally arrived, the doors dinged open and I stepped in. I was moving to press the button for the lobby when I saw that it was already glowing. It was then when I looked to my left and saw a wide-eyed girl pressed against the wall.

How could I be so clueless? I saw the elevator stop. Why didn't I expect another person to be in here with me? I hadn't prepared a greeting. What was proper elevator etiquette? I racked my brain for answers but came up with none. I finally decided to go with the conventional, "Hello."

The girl nodded. She was tall, but not taller than me. Perhaps five seven. She wore an over-sized tee shirt that hung off her thin yet curvy frame. Her skin had a slight olive undertone and she was barefoot, sand coating her wet feet. I gulped and looked away, because I knew staring was rude. Was this silence rude also? The only sound in the elevator was the electronic bell that sounded when we passed a floor. Was I overanalyzing this situation? It couldn't possibly be as awkward for her as it was for me.

Then I made the mistake of inhaling.

She smelled delectable. I snapped my head to look at her. I could see the warm blood swirl in her cheeks and it made my mouth water. Her scent mixed with sweet perfume from her hair, filling the small elevator. My eyes drank in every inch of her thirstily. I looked back up at her strikingly grey eyes framed by thick black eyelashes and saw not fear, but confusion. Her gaze snapped me out of her spell. How long had I been looking at her hungry-eyed, not saying a word? The elevator was only on the fifth floor, but it felt like time had slowed. I realized this was my first human encounter, and it was not going well.

"Do you need something?" she asked quietly, her voice melodic.

"I'm…" my mind was a mess, everything scrambled by her intoxicating scent as I struggled to compose a sentence. "You look…familiar." I surprised myself by uttering the truth that my mind had not allowed me to see. She actually did seem familiar. Of course, it was highly unlikely and almost impossible that we had even met. So that didn't…

"Oh." She chuckled awkwardly.

Her laugh filled my ears like a lovely instrument. I only knew one person with a laugh like that.

Two people.

She was the girl from the beach. The beautiful one. How much more beautiful she was up close! I saw it now; the curly dirty-blonde hair that fell around her shoulders that I had mistaken for being brown in the darkness, her wide eyes and peaches and cream complexion.

Then the most joyous realization struck me. She was alive! Here breathing in front of me, not a drained body hidden away in a ditch somewhere. I felt the urge, the _instinct,_ to protect her. She had come so close to death. She had no idea how lucky she was.

The elevator door opened and she strode out quickly. No! She mustn't go! Not so soon. She couldn't wander out alone, unprotected with a vampire on the loose. True, it would be just too easy to turn invisible and follow her, wherever she was going. But that felt wrong. I would speak to her, befriend her if I must. Like a normal person.

So I made the bold decision of jogging to catch up with her.

"My name is Aiden," I said, maintaining eye contact as we walked. I thought about reaching my hand out to shake hers, but she would be shocked by my lack of temperature. She smelled delightful, but it was easier to handle out in the open air of the parking lot.

"Reed," she smiled, revealing an array of white teeth surrounded by full, pink lips. So far so good, I thought.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Um…just to unload some groceries," she said.

"Mind if I help?"

"No, I'm really okay. Thanks for the offer, though."

Was this politeness? Should I offer again?

"Well, I happen to be going the same way. I'm going to go retrieve some boxes full of my…aunt's things."

"Oh." She said, and then went quiet. She looked at her feet insecurely as we walked, never looking me in the eyes or even the face.

"Did you just move in?"

"Yes." I said. "We're visiting from Aberdeen, in Washington."

"Really? I'm from Seattle,"

Then we reached the car. I made my way towards our Lamborghini and opened the trunk to pick up the last box. It was full of Renesmee's china. Very heavy, to a human at least. I lifted it up, closed the trunk and locked the door. When I turned around, Reed was standing next to a white van, mouth agape.

"_That's _your car?" she asked, pointing.

I said, "Yeah, it's my uncle's vacation car." She blinked once heavily and shook her head. Then she began loading a grocery cart with white plastic bags. I realized Jacob's car might not blend in very well. Reed finally finished and froze when she realized I was waiting for her.

Was I being creepy? It was just that the sun had almost set and anything could happen to a girl like this after dark, supernatural or otherwise. I wanted to make sure she was safe getting back. Reed began walking with the cart, back to the elevator. I walked next to her silently. I wouldn't pressure her to talk if she didn't want to.


End file.
